The government of Australia has pumped AUD 1.1 mn (EUR 0.7 mn) into Sydney-based plastics recycling technology group Samara (www.samaraeco.com) to help the firm develop technology to break down plastics waste into its original building blocks, to reuse in the manufacture of new products such as food-grade plastics or polyester.

Australia consumes around 3.5 mn t of plastics every year, of which 1 mn t is comprised of single-use products such as water bottles. Australian government’s National Plastics Plan 2021 estimated that 84% of plastics used across the country ended up in landfills, with only 13% being recycled, while approximately 130,000 t of the country’s plastics leak into the marine environment each year.

Related: Feasibility study for circular economy / Chance of advanced recycling plant in Victoria

Environment minister Sussan Ley said her government was driving action on plastics through a waste-export ban, the transformation of the recycling sector, and recent investments in advanced plastics recycling technology and compostable plastics.

“The time to act on problem plastics is now,” Ley said. “From plastic bottles to polyester in clothing, this government is committed to keeping harmful plastics out of our oceans and waterways while creating jobs and boosting the economy.”

The AUD 1.1 mn investment is being routed through the government’s green bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation. The investment is a part of Samara’s AUD 6 mn (EUR 4 mn) capital-raising exercise.